This is a simple, yet effective, recipe on how to make teachers and parents reach a boiling point.
WARNING: The results can be dangerous, so proceed with caution. Seriously, many Legislators have lost their jobs by making this recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
1 Governor who wants to privatize public education
1 Commissioner of Education who wants to privatize and profit from public education
33 Senators (you won't need them all)
99 State Representatives (you won't need them all, but you'll need to strong-arm enough to get a majority)
1,817 TN public schools
993,496 or so TN students + their parents and teachers
WARNING: The results can be dangerous, so proceed with caution. Seriously, many Legislators have lost their jobs by making this recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
1 Governor who wants to privatize public education
1 Commissioner of Education who wants to privatize and profit from public education
33 Senators (you won't need them all)
99 State Representatives (you won't need them all, but you'll need to strong-arm enough to get a majority)
1,817 TN public schools
993,496 or so TN students + their parents and teachers
1). Using a very sharp knife, carve out funding for public schools: Underfund public schools every year. Definitely slice out pay increases for teachers. (Besides, those teachers don't deserve it after they keep complaining about having to buy their own classroom supplies. What crybabies!)
That's it... Slice and Dice. Cut out the heart of the community.
2). Using a meat tenderizer, pound repeatedly on public schools until they are worn thin: Suck up their time with secretive, problem-laden, unhelpful standardized tests that don't work, and then tie their school performance and jobs to those tests. Also, create unfunded mandates that public schools must pay for. Force them purchase new curriculum to align with bogus common core standards, buy expensive practice tests, costly RTI materials, and computers to give tests on. Whatever you do, never allow the schools to be fully funded because this will make the public schools thrive, and you do not want healthy public schools for this recipe. You need them stretched thin.
Keep pounding until public schools are gone.
3). Mix it up: This step is very important. Do not skip it. Legislators, follow the advice of out-of-state lobbyists. Do exactly what they say. When they tell you to vote to underfund schools, do it. When they tell you to vote for vouchers or "education savings accounts," don't question where the funding will come from, who will profit from it, or how they have failed miserably in other states... just shut up and vote yes. When they tell you to vote to create a charter authorizing board appointed by the Governor that will take away local control, just do it. These copycat ALEC bills that privatize public education at the expense of their children's public schools are the crucial ingredients to piss parents and teachers off.
4). Increase the temperature: While the public schools are stewing over a lack of money, generously give their tax dollars to charter and private schools. Open those schools everywhere... the sky is the limit! That vacant gas station by the interstate? That a prime location for a charter school to pop up! The basement of a church that desperately needs money to survive? Bingo! A school paying rent to the church is the solution! The fact that the children will get a substandard, segregated education doesn't matter. You will probably have to deal with pesky elected school board members who are upset over this, but swat them away like mosquitoes. Now that the charter authorizer and voucher bills from Step 3 are in effect, you have more power than them.
Burn, baby, burn...
5). Add sauce: When people realize that public school students are being boiled alive like frogs in a pot, then create distractions. Pour it on thick... Tell them this is a "windfall" for public schools (when you know it is the opposite). Tell them you are giving them "choices" (even though you are taking away their top choice of healthy public schools). Ask them which seasoning they'd choose to have poured in their pot. Some popular seasonings are: "Cheesy charter," "Pickled private school," and "Zesty Testy." Generously sprinkle on patronizing phrases to increase the flavor. Honestly, you can't add too much, the media will eat it up.
6). If the parents & teachers still seem tough, increase the temperature to speed up the process.
6). If the parents & teachers still seem tough, increase the temperature to speed up the process.
Oh no... they've done it now!
7). Serve on a silver platter: Sit back and watch the you know what hit the fan.
That's not chocolate ice cream.
Enjoy! Bon Appetit!
This recipe was a blue ribbon winner in Arizona, Oklahoma, Colorado, West Virginia, Oakland, and Kentucky. After following this recipe, the parents and teachers in those states jumped out of the pot like grease out of a hot frying pan! When they realized that politicians were cooking their children's public school, they were angrier than hornets! They told their friends, which only added more fuel to the fire. The results were not pretty for politicians.
What happened? I followed the recipe exactly!
First, parents and teachers started calling and emailing their elected officials. That little indigestion was easy enough to ignore. But then they started showing up at their offices at the capitol. Darnit. Gotta wear blinders and earplugs to work for a bit. Awwww naaawww, the those pesky teachers and parents had the nerve to work together and all show up on the same day! Gosh durnit, those teachers were supposed to be in their underfunded classrooms, but they used their sick and personal days.
Now some might call this action of not going to work (and instead gathering with your co-workers while holding signs at a place where politicians are) a "strike." But everyone knows strikes aren't legal in Tennessee since legislators made TN a "Right to Work" state, which really means "Those teachers better get Right back to Work and stop complaining!" But you know what? Other states also have that same law, and that didn't stop those teachers from doing some pretty darn effective "Sick Outs." Some school districts even had to cancel school because so many teachers were "sick" over their legislators' actions. Be careful... It is really contagious. And TN teachers and parents are all catching it. Must be something in the water in Tennessee...
It is literally boiling over in Tennessee right now:
Honestly, we hope you've caught this "sick out" too, by reading this blog. Follow Momma Bears on Facebook, and kindly "Share the Bear" by sharing our blog. Infect your friends to make them "sick," too. Oh, and be sure to politely pester your politicians because persistent parents can often pressure their politicians to do the right thing knowing they need your vote to keep their jobs.
This recipe was a blue ribbon winner in Arizona, Oklahoma, Colorado, West Virginia, Oakland, and Kentucky. After following this recipe, the parents and teachers in those states jumped out of the pot like grease out of a hot frying pan! When they realized that politicians were cooking their children's public school, they were angrier than hornets! They told their friends, which only added more fuel to the fire. The results were not pretty for politicians.
What happened? I followed the recipe exactly!
First, parents and teachers started calling and emailing their elected officials. That little indigestion was easy enough to ignore. But then they started showing up at their offices at the capitol. Darnit. Gotta wear blinders and earplugs to work for a bit. Awwww naaawww, the those pesky teachers and parents had the nerve to work together and all show up on the same day! Gosh durnit, those teachers were supposed to be in their underfunded classrooms, but they used their sick and personal days.
Now some might call this action of not going to work (and instead gathering with your co-workers while holding signs at a place where politicians are) a "strike." But everyone knows strikes aren't legal in Tennessee since legislators made TN a "Right to Work" state, which really means "Those teachers better get Right back to Work and stop complaining!" But you know what? Other states also have that same law, and that didn't stop those teachers from doing some pretty darn effective "Sick Outs." Some school districts even had to cancel school because so many teachers were "sick" over their legislators' actions. Be careful... It is really contagious. And TN teachers and parents are all catching it. Must be something in the water in Tennessee...
It is literally boiling over in Tennessee right now:
- Protesting Governor Lee at fancy dinner - Saturday, April 6 hundreds of Knoxville area residents & teachers showed up to protest Governor Bill Lee at a fancy dinner.
- Rally at the Capitol by Tennessee Strong Coalition - A group of volunteer public school supporters created a coalition to stop vouchers and charters. They are planning action on Tuesday, April 9 at noon. They welcome any public school supporters to join them. The more, the merrier! Click here for more details.
- "Sick" teachers are going to infect the capitol on April 9 - These are healthy teachers who are using their sick or precious few personal days to protest at the capitol and visit legislators before the voucher vote.
- More "Sick" teachers and parents are expected to visit the capitol on Wednesday, April 10 @ 11am for the House Finance Subcommittee when the Voucher (aka: "Education Savings Accounts") bill is scheduled to be voted upon.
- We hear more actions are coming to the capitol if this goes to a floor fight in the House.
Honestly, we hope you've caught this "sick out" too, by reading this blog. Follow Momma Bears on Facebook, and kindly "Share the Bear" by sharing our blog. Infect your friends to make them "sick," too. Oh, and be sure to politely pester your politicians because persistent parents can often pressure their politicians to do the right thing knowing they need your vote to keep their jobs.
Disclaimer: We are volunteers. We are not affiliated with any political party or political organization. We are not being paid to blog, protest, or contact our legislators. No funding from anyone went into this blog or website.
